Be more than healthy, BE WELL!Contributing Author: Dr. Sylvia Crixell, Ph.D., R.D., Nutrition and Foods, School of Family and Consumer Sciences

We are approaching near the end of our introductory series to wellness. Throughout this journey of discovery, we have considered a comprehensive view of personal wellness, exploring the 8 broad areas that help us proactively seek wellness:

Our focus this week is on environmental wellness. Broadly speaking, environmental wellness involves living in harmony with the planet, considering how our actions impact the natural world, and conversely, how we can avoid exposure to environmental threats that may harm our health.​First, let’s consider how lifestyle choices can minimize environmental damage. For many of us, this is familiar territory. For example, we can reduce our carbon footprint by driving a car that gets good gas mileage, being conservative with air conditioning, consuming less meat, buying local produce, etc. We can take additional steps to protect our environment. We can use our own stainless steel water bottle instead of plastic bottles; we can rely on reusable bags instead of plastic bags; we can even carry our own silverware instead of using plastic throwaway forks, spoons, and knives. Plastics are an under-recognized environmental hazard – as they are not biodegradable, they contribute to 25% of landfill waste, making their way into marine and bird life, killing millions of marine creatures that are foundational to life on earth. On a positive note, in many cases, our small behavioral changes, such as reducing our reliance on plastics, keep us in harmony with our natural world and collectively make a big difference for our environment!

What may be a new perspective, is considering how we can limit our own personal exposure to environmental toxins. Unfortunately, in our industrialized world, environmental toxins are abound. Let’s consider one example - bisphenol A, or BPA. Billions of pounds of this chemical are produced annually, as it is used ubiquitously in many hard, polycarbonate plastics, epoxy linings of most food and beverage cans and water pipes, thermal receipt paper, water bottles, compact discs, dental sealants, and toys. BPA is of concern as it an endocrine disruptor, acting as a weak estrogen, and also acting as a regulator of gene expression. Present in the tissues of most of our citizens, BPA is a hot topic in the US and in industrial countries across the globe. Most countries have banned the use of BPA in baby bottles and “sippy” cups, but in the US in particular, regulation is elusive – banning a ubiquitous chemical such as BPA is not popular among many industries. And BPA is just the tip of the iceberg. There are other compounds that touch our daily lives – such as BPA replacements (BPS) in cans and hard plastic goods, phthalates in softer plastic items, and substances that make pans be ‘non-stick’. While we wait not only for more decisive results from scientific investigations but also for consensus among legislators – what should we do in the meantime to protect our families? Luckily, the answers are not so hard. We can decrease exposure to plastics and other chemicals that may enter the body by following common sense practices. For example, some ideas include:

​Replace plastic food containers with glass containers;

Avoid purchasing ‘single use’ plastic containers in stores;

Cook more often with whole foods, reducing use of canned goods;

Avoid microwave popcorn;

Carry reusable bamboo or stainless steel eating utensils;

Buy a stainless steel beverage container and keep it with you (vacuum bottles are very efficient at keeping beverages hot or cold);

Use stainless or cast iron instead of skillets coated with a non-stick surface;

If non-stick skillets are used, avoid heating them while empty, avoid cooking with high temperatures, and keep the stove ventilator fan running;

Use glass baby bottles padded with a silicone sleeve;

Use stainless “sippy” cups with silicone straws;

Use silicone or ceramic plates and bowls for kids instead of plastic;

Buy reusable silicone straws and stop using plastic ones.

Provide wooden toys instead of plastic toys for teething infants;

The good news is that this advice is easy to follow with a bit of mindfulness in play. And an added bonus is that protecting your family from environmental toxins is also good for the planet – contributing to environmental wellness.